The Man I Love - Warner Archive Collection

Raoul Walsh directed countless rough-and-tumble features during Hollywood's Golden Age, many of which starred James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, and Errol Flynn, but he had a tender side, too, and The Man I Love nicely showcases it. One of the movies that reportedly inspired Martin Scorsese's New York, New York, this rare musical-film noir hybrid tackles topical post-World War II issues within a romantic framework and sprinkles in some terrific standards, including the iconic George & Ira Gershwin title tune. The focus on drama instead of songs goes against the grain of traditional musicals and makes The Man I Love an often fascinating curio that's rather unique for its time period.

The Man I Love boasts a rich tapestry of characters, but the screenplay by Catherine Turney, who wrote three films for Barbara Stanwyck and two for Bette Davis, bites off a little more than it can chew within the confines of the movie's 96-minute running time. Subplots abound, but they aren't fully developed and some reach a too-hasty and not quite palatable resolution.

When New York nightclub singer Petey Brown (Ida Lupino) surprises her L.A. family with a visit over the Christmas holidays, she's greeted by plenty of strife. Her sister Sally (Andrea King) must deal with the psychosis of her husband Roy (John Ridgely), who struggles to overcome war-induced PTSD in a mental hospital, while her brother Joe (Warren Douglas) flirts with danger as an errand boy for mobster Nicky Toresca (Robert Alda), who runs a classy restaurant-lounge where Petey lands a short-term gig. Meanwhile, baby sister Virginia (Martha Vickers) pines for her married next-door neighbor Johnny O'Connor (Don McGuire), whose unfaithful wife Gloria (Dolores Moran) shows little interest in their baby twin daughters.

The street-smart Petey constantly fends off Nicky's brazen advances, much to his frustration and chagrin, and against her better judgment falls hard for brooding Merchant Marine San Thomas (Bruce Bennett), a gifted jazz musician who hit the skids when his marriage busted up. San still carries a king-sized torch for his ex-wife, and though Petey tries her damnedest to help him pick up the pieces of his shattered life and move on, he can't quite shake the ghosts of his past.

It's easy to draw comparisons between The Man I Love and New York, New York, but Scorsese's 1977 film is by no means a remake. The similar dramatic tone and emphasis on realism over artifice give both movies more weight than garden variety musicals and allow us to relate to and empathize with the characters on a higher emotional plane. The resonant ending brilliantly blends hope with despair, and Lupino - one of the most underrated actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age - gives it all she's got, rivaling studio rival Bette Davis with a heartbreaking performance. It's not quite "Oh Jerry, let's not ask for the moon; we have the stars" from Now, Voyager, but it's close.

Lupino was perhaps Davis' biggest competition on the Warner lot and the actress was most likely to inherit Davis' regal standing, but by the time Davis abdicated her queenly position at the studio, Lupino had already left for greener pastures. Like Davis, Lupino abhorred bad scripts and had no compunction about going on suspension when she was assigned roles and pictures she deemed unworthy of her talent. The Man I Love offered her one of the best parts she would get at Warner Bros, and the fact that it's directed by Walsh, who helped her skyrocket to fame with They Drive by Night and High Sierra, is hardly a coincidence.

Though her singing voice is (obviously) dubbed by smoky contralto Peg La Centra, Lupino puts over the tunes with aplomb, most notably the tear-jerking "Bill" from Jerome Kern's Show Boat. The riveting six-minute sequence was sadly cut from the release print of The Man I Love when the movie hit television in the mid-1950s due to rights issues and hasn't been seen since...until now. This Warner Archive Blu-ray seamlessly restores the deleted footage, which greatly enhances the film's musical program and emotional power.

Alda, fresh from portraying composer George Gershwin in the biopic Rhapsody in Blue, receives second billing, but is more of a supporting player. His fiery portrayal nicely contrasts with the more muted, introspective work of Bennett, who's perhaps best known as Joan Crawford's stuffy, judgmental first husband in Mildred Pierce. Bennett, a fine actor who struggled to break out of second banana roles, also deserved better than he got from Warner Bros, and excels here in a tricky part, giving a nuanced performance.

The Man I Love doesn't completely succeed, but its efforts to forge a new path, break established molds, and favor ambiguity over predictability lend it a welcome freshness that hasn't waned over the seven-plus decades since its premiere. Walsh's excellent direction and the fine portrayals of the ensemble cast make The Man I Love easy to love, especially for discriminating classics aficionados.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
The Man I Love arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

A brand new HD master struck from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative yields a lush, slick 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that maintains a palpable film-like feel and faithfully honors the cinematography of the too often unheralded Sid Hickox. Much of the time, the transfer is impeccable and breathtaking, sporting crystal clarity, pitch-perfect contrast, inky blacks that intensify the noir look, bright, stable whites, and a superior grayscale that helps highlight costume textures and fine details in the sets. Occasionally, though, various shots and scenes exhibit a soft, slightly fuzzy appearance that's a bit jarring. The difference in quality made me question whether these subpar sequences are part of the original camera negative or come from another source, but thankfully the imperfections are few and only minimally affect the viewing experience. Still, they're worth noting and keep me from giving this transfer the full five stars.

Excellent shadow delineation keeps crush at bay, razor sharp close-ups showcase Lupino's loveliness, and no nicks, marks, dirt, or errant scratches sully the print. Without question, The Man I Love has never looked better on home video, so don't let some intermittent softness dissuade you from picking up this impressive disc.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track treats The Man I Love like an MGM musical, with notable level and fidelity increases during songs and instrumental interludes. The effect is striking, but in this particular instance, dialogue levels are just a smidgen too low, so to make sure every word is properly prioritized, the dialogue volume requires a boost. As a result, when I watched the film, the music sequences - at least to my ears - were slightly too loud. Not uncomfortably loud, but the aural assault kept me from appreciating the exceptionally fine music as fully as I would have liked.

A wide dynamic scale handles all the brassy highs and weighty lows of the orchestrations and vocals with ease and sonic accents like facial slaps and shattering glass are distinct. No distortion is present and no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle mar the mix. Finding the sweet spot on this track is challenging (at least it was for me), so you might want to keep the remote handy to modulate the volume. All in all, the crystalline audio greatly heightens the impact of this under-the-radar film and showcases the stellar array of standards that complement and underscore the action.

Extras are a bit slim on this release, but it's always a treat to see some classic WB cartoons. Interestingly, the cartoons listed on the packaging - Roughly Squeaking and Slick Hare - are not included on the disc, but the two Looney Tunes animated shorts that take their place are both worth watching, especially Rabbit Transit.

• Vintage Cartoon: Crowing Pains (HD, 7 minutes) - Such lovable Looney Tunes characters as Foghorn Leghorn and Sylvester the Cat star in this amusing romp that also features Henery Hawk, who's once again determined to hunt down a chicken.
• Vintage Cartoon: Rabbit Transit (HD, 8 minutes) - This is one of those Looney Tunes cartoons starring Bugs Bunny that I fondly remember watching on TV after school in the 1960s and '70s. An amusing take on the classic tortoise-and-the-hare fable, this 1947 cartoon finds a cocky Bugs battling the slowpoke Cecil the Turtle in a foot race.
• Original Theatrical Trailer (SD, 3 minutes) - The film's original preview completes the extras package.

The Man I Love is a fascinating, largely ignored movie that deftly marries the musical with film noir. The myriad plot threads occasionally muddy the narrative waters, but the strong performance by Ida Lupino keeps us invested throughout. A beautiful transfer struck from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative and robust audio add to the appeal of this welcome release. Recommended.